The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-14
THE MODERN HERCULES.
Joe Call and Some Of His Wonder
full Feats.
n GOod-Natured, JoviaI samson Who Had
the Strength OF Eight Men-IIOw lie
Once Killed AN English Bully
Who Challenged Him.

just a century ago several members
of the Platt family. who then resided in
Poughkecpsic. Y. Y, formed a colony
which embraced the Baily and Ferris
families with others of their townsmen,
and located at the mouth of the Saranac
river in the northern wilderness of that
State, giving to the settlement its pre-
sent name of Pittsburgh. The in
hucnce and comparative wealth in those
days of these first colOnists induced a
large number of Quaker families in
Duchess County to change their homes
for the heavily timbered and farming
lands of Clinton County, then open to
settlers, whose cabins soon extended
over the towns of Plattsburgh, Peru
and Ausable, between the Saranac and
and the Ausable rivers on the western
shore of Lake Champlain. Among those
of the early ''nineties'' were the Reese
and Arnold families, whose descendants
still own and occupy the choicest lands
an that locality. There were two
Brothers, Oliver and Richard Reese,
from whom the village of Keeseville, on
the Ausable river, was subsequently
named.
Upon the discovery of iron in 1906
new emigration set in from the towns
along the Hudson river. and from Yer
mont and New Hampshire; and within
the following ten years iron operations
were commenced on the BOquet,
Ausable and Saranac rivers. 1t was
during this period that Joseph Call,
then young man, first appeared in
that locality. and in 1916 he became
Junior partner in the firm then known
as the "Keeseville Rolling and Sitting
Mill Company" of which Oliver and
Richard Reese were also members. He
Ender the carpenter and blacksmith
trades, and first exhibited his Herculean
powers in the construction of dams,
saw-mills and manufactures on the
Ausable river. Many living to-day
remember him well, and his strength
was so great, it is said, that timber
requiring eight men to place in position
was handled easily by Call alone. He
was in no sense fighting man or even
a pugilist, but a plain, unpretentiOus
workman, who never realized his own
superiority, but was always ready to
engage in any friendly wrestle or test
0fstrength. His fame extended through
nut New York and Vermont and over
The Eastern portion of the Canadas.
With his legs locked around a tree a
yoke of oxen were unable to break his
aold. In driving from Keeseville to
Lewis in winter he met a number of
teams hauling ore over the dugway of
Willsboro mountain leaving scarcely
-oom to pass. The teamsters purposely
blocked the way, and gathered about
Che stranger in threatening manner
as he attempted to drive by. Stepping
put of his sleigh he simply extended
his hands between their legs, tossing
khem two at time over their teams
intO the ravine below.
Z. P Walton, the Vermont historian.
under date OF F. bruary l. 1887, writes
IF him as follows: Among the cele-
DRAFTED men / have seen IS Joe Call. II
was at Arson tavern in Essex, n. Y,
about the year 1926. He was some
what above medium size. large with
out being excessively fat, compactly
built, as spry as cat, and of jovial
disposition. l saw him play little in
wrestling. but of course with no one
who could begin to match him. OF the
many accounts of his proves 1 remem-
Der only two-one was that man
came on horseback from a distant
State, / think it was Kentucky, to
challenge Joe to a trial of siren 9Th.
He found him in his bayfield, and
stated his business, whereupon Joe
playfully seized him and threw him
over the fence. The other incident oc-
CURED at Pittsburgh, where Joe was
wrestling. He threw his opponent,
but fell upon him with such force as to
kill the unfortunate man."
Moore Conger, of Chicago. who came
from Western New York, relates that
On one occasion a champion wrestler
called at Joe's house and found no one
at home but young sister. He in
formed her that he had come a great
ways to wrestle with her brother, and
asked if he COT Id wait until he returned
She informed him that it was unneces-
sary; that Joe would not return until
late, and that she usually did the
wrestling when he was away; then sud
denly ssizing her visitor by the slack of
his trousers she tossed him through the
upper lalf of the open door out into the
Toad. After rising he made an obliging
bow and remarked that if she would
throw his horse to him he would start
aor home.
Joseph Calf left son Joe. who was
also plain. easy-going man, making
no pretensions to physical proves, al
though reported to possess nearly the
strength of his father. Young Joe, as
he was called, was until his death in
the employ ofthe Rogers Iron Company.
at Ausable Forks. Its president, Henry
ID. Graves, under date of February 5.
1897, furnishes the following informa-
ton concerning the family: Joseph
Call, son of old Joe, died nearly two